Overview

VMSC connects to Kick using a Pusher WebSocket connection, providing real-time access to chat messages and stream events. This integration was introduced in VMSC v1.2.58 and delivers low-latency event processing directly from Kick's real-time infrastructure.

The connection uses Kick's public Pusher channels, so no API keys or tokens are required — just enter your Kick username and connect.

New in v1.2.58+

Kick support was added in VMSC version 1.2.58. If you are running an older version, update VMSC to access this integration. Check your current version under Settings > About.

Prerequisites

  • A Kick account (the channel you stream on)
  • VMSC v1.2.58 or later
  • VMSC installed and running on your machine

No API keys, tokens, or developer credentials are required. The Kick integration connects to publicly available Pusher channels.

Step-by-Step Connection

  1. Open VMSC and navigate to the Sources panel from the sidebar
  2. Locate the Kick source card and click it to expand the settings
  3. Enter your Kick username (the channel name you want to monitor)
  4. Click Connect
  5. VMSC establishes a Pusher WebSocket connection to Kick's real-time channels
  6. The Kick status card on the dashboard updates to show the connection state

The connection is established within seconds. Once connected, VMSC subscribes to the relevant Pusher channels for your Kick channel and begins receiving events immediately.

Supported Events

VMSC captures the following event types from Kick:

Event Description Key Data
Chat Message A viewer sends a message in your Kick chat Username, message text, badges, emotes, message ID
Follow A user follows your Kick channel Username, timestamp
Subscription A user subscribes to your Kick channel Username, months, message
Gifted Subscription A user gifts subscriptions to other viewers Gifter username, recipient(s), gift count

Auto-Reconnect with Exponential Backoff

The Kick integration includes robust reconnection logic. If the WebSocket connection drops due to network issues, server maintenance, or any other reason, VMSC automatically attempts to reconnect using exponential backoff.

The reconnection strategy works as follows:

Attempt Delay Description
1st retry 1 second Immediate retry after brief pause
2nd retry 2 seconds Short delay
3rd retry 4 seconds Moderate delay
4th retry 8 seconds Longer delay
5th+ retry 16 seconds (max) Capped maximum delay between attempts

Once the connection is successfully re-established, the backoff timer resets. VMSC continues retrying indefinitely until the connection is restored or you manually disconnect.

Connection Status Tracking

VMSC tracks the Kick connection state in real-time and surfaces it through the dashboard status card and the Sources panel. The connection passes through the following states:

Status Indicator Meaning
Disconnected Gray No active connection. Enter your username and click Connect.
Connecting Yellow (pulsing) VMSC is establishing the Pusher WebSocket connection.
Connected Lime green WebSocket connection is active and subscribed to your channel.
Live Lime green (pulsing dot) Your Kick stream is live and events are being received.
Reconnecting Orange (pulsing) Connection lost. Auto-reconnect in progress with exponential backoff.
Error Red Connection failed. Check the error message for details.

Dashboard Integration

The Kick connection card on the VMSC dashboard features a distinctive lime green (#53fc18) accent color, matching Kick's brand identity. The card displays:

  • Current connection state with color-coded indicator
  • Your Kick channel username
  • A live status dot that pulses when your stream is actively broadcasting
  • Event count since the current connection was established
  • Connection uptime

The live status dot provides an at-a-glance indicator of whether your Kick stream is currently active, making it easy to confirm your stream status from the VMSC dashboard without switching to the Kick website.

Dashboard Card Accent

Each platform's dashboard card uses its brand color for visual distinction. The Kick card uses lime green (#53fc18), making it instantly recognizable alongside the purple Twitch card, red YouTube card, and other platform cards.

Auto-Connect on Launch

After your initial setup, VMSC remembers your Kick channel username and automatically reconnects on every launch. Since the Kick integration uses public Pusher channels, no token refresh is needed — the connection re-establishes itself instantly.

Troubleshooting

Connection Fails Immediately

  • Verify that your Kick username is spelled correctly (case-insensitive)
  • Check your internet connection and ensure WebSocket connections are not blocked by your firewall or VPN
  • Confirm you are running VMSC v1.2.58 or later

Connected But No Chat Messages

  • Confirm that your Kick channel has active chat — send a test message from another account or from the Kick website
  • Check that the dashboard card shows "Connected" or "Live" status
  • Kick chat events require an active Pusher subscription to the correct channel — verify your username matches your Kick channel URL

Frequent Reconnections

  • Occasional reconnections are normal, especially during Kick platform maintenance
  • VMSC's exponential backoff ensures reconnections are handled gracefully without overwhelming the server
  • If reconnections occur every few seconds, check your network stability
  • Some ISPs or corporate networks may throttle or block persistent WebSocket connections
Kick API Availability

Kick's public API and Pusher channels may change without notice. If the Kick integration stops working after a VMSC update is not available, check the VMSC Discord or release notes for information about Kick API changes.

Next Steps

With Kick connected, you can create rules that respond to chat messages, follows, and subscriptions: